All Rise...

Editor's Note

The Charge

The definitive account of modern cinema's eternal bogeyman.

Opening Statement

The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection from 1999 was one of the first
great box sets of the DVD era. With all of the extant Nightmare films in one place, with plenty of
extras, one could overlook the cardboard cases and the sometimes-obnoxious
navigation methods. It was, at the time, the definitive portrait of the
franchise (until Freddy vs.
Jason a few years later), and I can't think of a horror franchise that's
gotten better treatment since (though the Friday the 13th Blu-ray set
comes close). Now, though, no release related to the original A Nightmare on Elm Street
could hope to be definitive without including a copy of Never Sleep Again:
The Elm Street Legacy. Though fans may not want to upgrade, there's no doubt
this is the definitive oral history of the franchise and its creation.

Facts of the Case

Starting before the first A
Nightmare on Elm Street film with the history of New Line Cinema and Wes
Craven, Never Sleep Again takes a chronological approach to the
franchise, interviewing (with a few exceptions noted below) everyone who
impacted the making of the famous Freddy films. In between the talking head
interviews we get clips from the films, archival images, and even some video
from the sets. Together, we get a solid warts-and-all history of Freddy
Krueger.

The Evidence

In 2013 I assigned some writing about a slasher film, and several of my
students compared their films to the Nightmare franchise. Sadly, most of them
thought the villain of the series was Freddie Cougar, and I was a little
disheartened that Freddy had fallen so far out of the mainstream. Watching
Never Sleep Again restored my faith in the importance of the franchise.
It's a near-perfect overview of the series, and is worth watching for any fans
of the films.

The first thing that the film gets right is its length. This is a four-hour
film, basically, and the time is split pretty evenly between all seven films in
the original franchise, as well as a bit of time devoted to merchandising and
the Freddy's Nightmares TV series. Each entry gets roughly a half-hour,
which is enough time to go into a decent amount of depth without losing
momentum. Each of the sections has a similar structure as well, so we hear about
the writing process, the casting process, the production, and then the impact of
the film financially. Each film also gets its own special section where a unique
aspect is discussed. For instance, the film addresses the homosexual undertones
of the first sequel, or the participation of Dokken in Dream
Warriors.

The second thing the film gets right is the set of interviewees. The vast
majority of significant players is included, from Wes Craven himself, to Bob
Shaye (head of New Line), to almost all of the stars, including the
all-important Robert Englund. Special effects guys are included in the list as
well, and all have something interesting to say about their participation. More
importantly, they're willing to be critical of something aspects of the film,
their production, as well as their fellow interviewees. Though this is hardly a
case of character assassination, people do express disappointments about
budgets, production decisions, and various other things. It keeps the film
balanced and engaging.

If those four hours aren't enough for you, you get a whole host of extras to
help sate your need for all things Nightmare. Things kick off with a
commentary by directors Andrew Kasch and Daniel Farrands, writer Thommy Hutson,
and cinematographer Buz Danger Wallick. The quartet are surprisingly engages
throughout the running time, sharing info about the genesis of the project, how
they wrangled the participants, and the problems they encountered along the way.
Then, on the second disc, we get another 100 minutes of interviews, which play
out like a mini version of the full film, organized by each entry in the
franchise. Then, we get a host of featurettes that cover everything from
Freddy's iconic glove to the composers of the franchise's music. It's a great
way to see details that didn't quite fit into the interview format of the
feature, and hardcore fans will probably find more new info in these
featurettes. The film's trailer is also included.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Upgrading from the standard DVD might be a bit of a disappointment. The
1.78:1/1080p AVC-encoded transfer is fine, but not spectacular. The big problem
is one of compression, as all four hours of video and two audio tracks are
included on the first disc. There's a bit of artefacting in some shots, though
it's not terrible. Skin colors can be a bit all over the place, though that's
probably more about the lighting conditions on set. Black levels tend to drop
off a bit, going from bright lights to complete darkness very quickly. That
means people's heads can sometimes appear to be swimming in black. It's a
totally watchable transfer, and if this is your first time out with the
documentary then this will look good. However, those who already own the DVD
probably won't want to upgrade just for the video. Audio is a bit better, with
all the interviews and production footage perfectly clear in this DTS-HD 2.0
stereo mix. This isn't intended to be a showy mix, but the important stuff is
all there.

Sadly, Johnny Depp wasn't interviewed (though he appears briefly in an
excerpt from Inside the Actor's Studio), and neither Ronnie Blakely nor
Patricia Arquette is onboard either. The latter is especially disappointing,
since no one can really provide a definitive answer as to why she didn't return
for The Dream Master. Ultimately I think the absence of a few figures is
understandably and doesn't ding the film at all, but those hoping for a complete
collection of interviews might be slightly disappointed.

Never Sleep Again is also in a weird place. As a four-hour
documentary about a film franchise, it's not aimed at the casual viewer. Still,
the casual viewers is the one who stands to gain the most from the film. As
someone who watched all the extras on that old Nightmare box set, I didn't really learn
anything from Never Sleep Again. I don't think that's a problem, since I
enjoyed the journey even though I knew the destination. However, those hoping
for new revelations or fresh gossip won't find a whole lot here.

Closing Statement

Never Sleep Again is a surprisingly watchable four-hour documentary on
one of the biggest franchises in horror history. It's worth watching from anyone
interested in the franchise, horror films, pop culture, or film history. Though
the upgrade in the audio and video isn't enough to justify an immediate
purchase, for new fans this is a definitive portrait of an amazing pop-culture
phenomenon.

The Verdict

You may never sleep again, but this one's not guilty.

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